Greenland - What a Wonderful World

Travel news from Greenland

No. 3 Volume 2, September 1996

Current information for the travel industry


This information is provided by Greenland Tourism a/s, the official tourist board of Greenland


Adventure cruises - two new experiences on offer
New products for '97
Dollars put into Greenland's tourist sector
I want to see an iceberg
"Greenland is awaiting you with experiences of another world"
The way to a job in tourism
Three busy outfitters
News in brief
Did you know....


Adventure cruises - two new experiences on offer

The legendary ship the M/S Disko will be joined in 1997 by another adventure cruiser - the Marine Adventurer. The course has been mapped out for the two ships and the two extraordinary offers are currently being launched as a concept.

The Landsting's decision to purchase the passenger ship M/S Disko in the spring was the starting point for a new adventure cruise product along the coast of West Greenland. Greenland Tourism has now decided to charter the Russian research ship "Ioffe" for a year at a time in order to be able to offer voyages in South Greenland as well. The ship also sails under the more tourist-friendly name of the "Marine Adventurer".

"We are concentrating our efforts on German, French, British and North American visitors who have a long tradition of making cruise-like trips," said Kim Folmann Jørgensen, director of Greenland Tourism. Previously the M/S Disko was primarily a means of transport sailing from town to town. In the new concept the number of nautical miles sailed is not the primary aim, but rather the experiences associated with seeing Greenland from the sea. "We will be coming to a halt at selected areas of natural interest and will happily take a detour to get close to a glacier, a bird cliff, etc. The tour will keep as close to land as possible with opportunities to alight in towns and settlements along the way."

M/S Disko

The M/S Disko is to navigate the central and northern regions in fixed modules of 3 - 4 or 7 days along the coast from Kangerlussuaq to Ilulissat and Uummannaq from 13 June to 29 August. An extraordinary tour will be departing for Thule on 29 August to visit the most northerly inhabited area of the world. The M/S Disko will return to Kangerlussuaq approximately a week later. The ship will be undertaking an Atlantic cruise - "In the wake of the Vikings" - from Copenhagen on 1 June 1997 via Bergen, Thorshavn, Reykjavik, Cape Farewell, Nuuk and Maniitsoq arriving in Kangerlussuaq on 13 June and will end with a similar trip but in reverse order at the beginning of October 1997.

The ship accommodates a total of 92 people in 38 standard cabins and 8 deluxe cabins. Also on board is a restaurant with buffet facilities for 100 people, a bar, an information lounge for lectures, a library and a business and information area.

Marine Adventurer

The sailing schedule for Adventure Cruises with the Marine Adventurer in South Greenland has been arranged both as an add-on product to Iceland and as an independent product. Starting in Narsarsuaq, the ship is to sail in a loop between Narsaq and Greenland's east coast with a choice of 2, 5 or 7 days stay on board in the period from 28 June to 6 September. The ship can accommodate 80 passengers in cabins of varying grades.

The two ships have in common the fact that the experiences and services offered on board are the same for everyone, irrespective of the agency through which the trip was bought. The standard programme includes cabin, full board, on-board tour guide, lectures and information meetings, guided tours of the towns en route, landings, etc. Tour operators can offer additional tours before and after the cruise.

2,000 more guests

The total number of places offered on the two ships is 2,850. When the M/S Disko sailed under the auspices of KNI it carried approx. 800-900 guests in cruise-ship-like conditions. Thus next year 2,000 more people will be carried on board the two ships -a realistic figure, according to Kim Folmann Jørgensen. "In terms of price we really can compete with comparable products to Spitsbergen and Alaska respectively. In fact we can offer a cheaper product which includes the flight to Greenland." As an example, Jørgensen mentions that a one-week adventure cruise with the M/S Disko's standard programme will be able to be purchased in Denmark for around DKK 18,000 including commission to the tour operator.

Profil Travel responsible for bookings

Profil Travel will be responsible for all bookings in purely technical terms, and at the same time will be selling the product in conjunction with other tour operators. Mogens Gislinge, product manager of Profil Travel, is very enthusiastic about the two new adventure cruises. "These are unique products. The M/S Disko was very popular in the past when sailing a scheduled route," Gislinge explains. "Now we will be able to adapt our product to the clients' wishes in a completely different way, and having two ships on different routes will give us many options. At the same time we will be able to achieve the objective of getting more tourists to Greenland without taking up hotel beds in the areas which are currently experiencing bottlenecks."

Information about the service concept, pricing structure and co-operation terms for tour operators, descriptions of the routes, outline route maps, drawings and photographs of the ships are available from the Vestnorden Travel Mart (VNTM) and from Greenland Tourism.


New products for '97

Greenland on first class

A new product from Arctic Adventure is a business class trip to South Greenland. The ingredients of the trip are the same as for previous trips to South Greenland, but everything will be business class. Hiking trips to the Inland Ice will be replaced by a helicopter trip, all luggage will be transported throughout the trip, meals will be à la carte, etc. Arctic Adventure has developed the trip for Japanese and American senior citizens who have high disposable incomes, a public with the courage to tackle the wild Greenlandic landscape but who at the same time expect luxury and comfort.

Zodiac expedition South Greenland

In 1996 Arctic Adventure developed a new product which took place for the first time in early August. This is an expedition by rubber dinghy in South Greenland and thus an entirely new way of experiencing Greenland. The trip will be fine-tuned on the basis of this year's expedition and will be one of the less traditional experiences offered in Arctic Adventure's programme for 1997. The dinghy has room for four people and the entire trip will take place at sea in the impressive fjord systems of South Greenland between icebergs with visits to towns and settlements and excursions to hot springs, the Inland Ice, etc.

From Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut by mountain bike

This year this classic hiking route will be tried out for the first time on mountain bike - a distance of 170 km in total. Five experienced mountain bikers with Morten Heilmann in front will be setting out from Kangerlussuaq heading for Sisimiut. Team Arctic has sponsored one of the riders, Svend Breittschneider, who has taken part in international races in most of the world and is himself a co-organiser of races in Denmark.

Mountain biking and mountain bike races are experiencing an explosive growth in popularity and the aim of the trip is to investigate whether it will be possible to organise mountain bike races on the route in the future. Morten Heilmann intends to arrange a mountain bike meet in Kangerlussuaq as early as next year and - depending on this year's trip - to organise a race from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut. With the exception of some sections around the lakes, the route is the same as will be skied during the 1997 Arctic Circle Race next spring.

Cruise northwards from Disko Bay

Polar Travel has a new, first-class product on the slip-way, which according to its director Hans Grønkjær has never been seen before in Greenland. The product is targeted at visitors with a comfortable wallet. Grønkjær does not want to give away any more for the time being since some of the pieces have yet to fall into place. The finished product is expected to be ready for presentation at the Vestnorden Travel Mart (VTM) in Iceland in September.

Helicopter lands on the Inland Ice

There is a difference between landing next to the Inland Ice and actually on the impressive ice cap itself. Kangerlussuaq Tourism A/S now has another helicopter at its disposal - the little Bell 206 which carries a maximum of 3 people + pilot. This small helicopter will allow small groups to take a trip to the Inland Ice and, not least, a stroll or picnic on the ice itself. In contrast to the larger SK61 helicopter which seats 24, the Bell 206 will land directly on the ice.

Two-centre trips to Nuuk and Ilulissat

Great interest in combining Nuuk with Ilulissat has resulted in Profil Travel organising package trips in '97 which spend a week in Nuuk, then depart by ship bound for Ilulissat.

Holiday in a settlement

Just an hour by sea from Ilulissat lies the settlement of Oqaatsut (Rodebay) with a population of approx. 50. For the first time Profil Rejser is organising longer stays in this settlement in Disko Bay where tourists will have an opportunity to drink coffee, fish and get a glimpse into everyday life in a typical Greenlandic settlement.

Live in the wilderness - but only for two days!

For most people dog-sledge trips are the greatest winter experience in Greenland. However, when it comes to Profil Travel's clientèle, the visitors want to test the limits, whiz off on dog-sledges, spend the night in primitive conditions and travel through totally uninhabited areas - so long as it's not for too many days. As a result, next year Profil Travel will be offering trips to Ilulissat and Uummannaq combining hotel accommodation in the towns with a two-day dog-sledge trip of an expedition-like nature.

For the first time Profil Travel will be issuing a combined winter and summer programme, which will be available as early as autumn.


Dollars put into Greenland's tourist sector

The first foreign investors are on the scene and Greenland is one step closer to having a world-class summer skiing centre. A large hotel complex with facilities for slalom, heli-skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing in the midnight sun on the Apussuit glacier near Maniitsoq may become a reality in the year 2000.

In June a contract was signed between Greenland's Home Rule government and the American company Greenland Outdoors. Each party has put DKK 3.5 million on the table for analyses and investigations. The total cost for the whole project is estimated at DKK 500 million.

The investigations will decide whether the large-scale project is viable - in both economic and environmental terms. If the results are positive the regional government is prepared to invest DKK 175 million in the infrastructure, electricity, water, etc. It will then be up to Greenland Outdoors to find investors for the remaining amount.

Analyses and investigations are in full swing. The first phase is a feasibility study which will be submitted to Greenland's Home Rule government at the beginning of October this year. A decision will be taken as to whether or not the skiing centre is to be built on the basis of this study. If the skiing centre is to be ready in the year 2000 as planned, building work must start in June '97.

The Apussuit glacier lies 1,200 metres above sea level, 30 km to the east of Maniitsoq (Sukkertoppen). In the summer the snow-covered area amounts to around 200 km2 with differences in height of up to 800 metres and descents of up to 8 km of all degrees of difficulty.

Hotel for 600 guests

The hotel is to be located at the top of the glacier with a view across the entire area. 300 rooms are planned to accommodate a total of 600 guests. According to provisional calculations, the skiing centre will provide full-time employment for 210 people and the hotel will have to be visited by between 15,000 and 20,000 people annually in order to be profitable. It is expected to open between early June and early October and whilst the centre will primarily be based around skiing activities, other activities such as ice and mountain climbing, kayak paddling and hiking may also be included in the programmes.

The project is targeted at elite skiers for use for summer training, educational establishments which offer skiing courses and adventurers who want to try out something completely new.

The two American partners Bill Eldridge and Paul Fremont-Smith who are behind Greenland Outdoors have worked together with Greenland's Home Rule government with a view to developing the centre for many years. To date they have invested DKK 3-4 million of their own funds for introductory investigations, plans, drawings and videos. Through the years they have also invited several instructors and well-known skiers to Apussuit on test runs - and all have agreed that the location is amongst the best in the world.


I want to see an iceberg

The desire to "capture" icebergs is the starting point for many of the film crews which come to Greenland each year. 54 film crews from over 10 different countries have been in contact with Greenland Tourism in Copenhagen since autumn 1995.

Assisting journalists and film crews is given high priority at Greenland Tourism. "One of our larger tasks was to assist in connection with the filming of 'Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow'," says Maya Borritsø, a PR officer at Greenland Tourism. Amongst other things, Maya Borritsø coached the actress Julia Ormond in voice, facial expressions and body language so that the central character in the film, "Miss Smilla", could pronounce place names and personal names correctly in the film and gesticulate in a convincingly Greenlandic way. "At the Copenhagen office we were involved in the initial manoeuvres, but otherwise it was mainly Ilulissat Tourist Service which assisted the 50-man film crew in Greenland."

Maya Borritsø says that the tasks and the help which are needed vary greatly, involving everything from making contacts to attending planning meetings. "Many journalists and film crews come to us with a few ideas for an approach. Icebergs are often the starting point, but it is then a free-for-all and we are able to contribute ideas and keywords. Others come to Greenland to carry out research and those we help primarily with the concrete, practical organisation. We think it very important for journalists and producers to get the best information, and not least we try to avoid fatal misunderstandings. Here it is often a matter of a delicate balance. We had one experience with a Dutch film crew which wanted to make a 50 minute feature about Greenland which was to include the culling of a seal and its subsequent flensing. With the Brigitte Bardot effect at the back of our minds it is important to deal with such sensitive issues with great care."

Greenland's landscape forms the backdrop for many different advertising films, but otherwise it is travel programmes and documentaries which head the list. In the early summer the Lonely Planet Guide spent six weeks in each of Eastern Greenland, Disko Bay, the Nuuk region and South Greenland in order to make a 50 minute broadcast which will be shown in most European countries as well as in the USA and Australia.

"The greater the focus on Greenland in the electronic and printed media, the better for the country and not least for the tourism sector, so after the initial work on our part it is naturally also important that the tourist offices and other partners co-operating in Greenland provide the right service and look after journalists and film crews well when they come to the country," concludes Maya Borritsø


"Greenland is awaiting you with the experience of another world"

That's how Greenland Tourism decided to introduce two new tourist brochures about Greenland.

At the end of August 300,000 new Greenland brochures will be ready in Danish, English, German, French and Italian. The concept is different to the previous 100-page brochure. "This year we have decided to produce two brochures instead of one large one," explains Søren Thalund, PR manager at Greenland Tourism. "The main A4 size brochure runs to 36 pages and is designed primarily to whet the appetite, with the emphasis on the visual aspects and a text rich in personal experiences written around 11 different themes."

The other is a handy little brochure of roughly A6 size containing 120 pages of facts about Greenland. It contains a lot of concrete and practical information and the size means that it fits nicely into a pocket. No pictures from previous Greenland brochures have been reused in either of the brochures.


The way to a job in tourism

The scheme known as Greenland Outfitters has been a hit in Greenland and financing schemes for entrepreneurs within the tourist sector will be on the agenda at the autumn assembly of the Landsting in November.

The scheme is preparing the way for more and more entrepreneurs to become established with an exciting range on offer to tourists. Greenland Tourism introduced the idea in 1994 and to date 23 businesses/individuals have authorised as "outfitters" in 14 towns/settlements all over Greenland, with a total turnover of DKK 5-6 million. It is possible to become an "outfitter" within 10 different areas: hunting, fisheries, kayak, accommodation, sailing, expeditions, skiing and sporting activities, dog sledging, snow scooters and hiking.

From 1997 Greenland Outfitters will be integrated into the more formal educational courses in Greenland and Greenland Tourism will then primarily perform an advisory function.

Guarantee of quality

The authorised "outfitters" work under a common logo and with a common set of rules for quality of service and safety and are helping to prepare the ground for greater professionalism amongst those offering experiences within the tourist sector. A steering committee has been appointed from amongst the outfitters and each year organises a five-day seminar with topics such as quality, service, joint purchasing of goods, new products and marketing on the agenda. According to Preben Kaspersen, development manager at Greenland Tourism, the co-operation between the outfitters is currently functioning excellently. A criss-cross network has been formed with a view to new ideas, exchanging experiences and business co-operation. Greenland Outfitters are often subcontractors to tour operators and are being included in the various tourist publications on an ongoing basis.


Three busy outfitters

New fast boat in Disko Bay

This summer the "outfitter" Dieter Zillmann has invested in a new boat built specially for tourist trips. The "M/B Smilla" arrived in Oqaatsut (Rodebay) in Disko Bay on 10 July and has room for 12 passengers plus crew. The boat has a top speed of 30 knots and cruising speed of 20 and can thus travel almost twice as fast as the other boats on the Ice Fjord. Consequently, as well as sailing with tourists on the impressive Ice Fjord Dieter Zillmann wants to use the boat for a taxi service on the sea between various destinations in Disko Bay.

Dieter Zillmann and his wife Elke Meissner have taken part in many other initiatives in addition - particularly in Oqaatsut (Rodebay). Amongst other things, they organise five-day stays for tourists who want to try living in a typical Greenland settlement. The stay is supplemented with experiences such as fishing, coffee meetings and hiking trips organised by people living in the settlement.

Sight set on seals

Seal hunting for tourists is amongst the activities offered by the "outfitter" Karl Markussen in Uummannaq. In addition, there are trips and longer expeditions on Karl Markussen's own dog-sledge, fishing and sailing in the summer season. According to Markussen, there are no limits to what tourists think of to ask about, and a lot of time is spent telling them about Greenland's landscape and culture - not least about everyday life then and now in Greenland. Working with tourists is still only a sideline which accounts for around 30% of Karl Markussen's annual income, but in the coming year he hopes for even more tourists - as an unusual and exciting supplement to his job as a sealer.

Smilla Holiday Centre

Together with two other "outfitters" Uno Fleischer has bought three of the cabins used by the Miss Smilla crew during the filming of the book in Ilulissat in Disko Bay in the spring. The three entrepreneurs are currently working on a communal building to join the cabins so that a Smilla Holiday Centre with room for 12 overnight guests can be ready for the '97 season. Uno Fleischer started up in 1994 and since then many tourists, journalists and film people have been very grateful for his many years of experience of dog sledging and extraordinary knowledge of Arctic conditions. After several expeditions in the 1970s and as leader of the 4,000 km long dog-sledge expedition from Thule to Northern Alaska in 1992 he is an expert in the field.

Uno Fleischer offers many different trips from 1-day and weekend trips to long trips lasting 12 days. In the summer these take place in his own boat and in the winter by dog-sledge. A large part of Uno Fleischer's work consists of providing support to journalists and film crews. The BBC has just left Uno Fleischer's boat and he supplied all the sealskin clothing, found suitable locations, obtained statistics and trained and instructed dogs in connection with the filming of "Miss Smilla".


News in brief

Greenland at Copenhagen Airport

From 11 November to 24 December Copenhagen's Kastrup Airport will be focusing on Greenland. All those travelling by air to and from Kastrup will have an opportunity to buy Greenlandic products and see Greenlandic workshops in action. Naturally, one of the leading figures will be Father Christmas. An exhibition of dog-sledges, costumes, etc. and a mechanised Christmas display with a Greenlandic landscape with dogs, sledges and igloos will be found in the large shopping mall area.

Agent and press trips

From 9-12 August Greenland Tourism organised a press trip to East Greenland attended by journalists from five different countries. An agents' trip will take place from 23 to 28 August in South Greenland with visits to Narsaq and Nanortalik, amongst other places. Arktis Reisen Schehle has 9 journalists coming with them on a press trip to Disko Bay in connection with the Vestnorden Travel Mart (VTM).

New co-operation partner

In June Greenland Tourism entered into a marketing co-operation agreement with the British agency Arctic Experience. Arctic Experience and Flights of Fantasy are together responsible for sending the most British tourists on holiday to Greenland.

The world's longest vertical rock wall

A hiking map of one of Greenland's most exciting walking areas has been issued and may be purchased at tourist offices and airports in Greenland as well as from Nordisk Korthandel in Copenhagen. The map has text in Danish, English and German and covers the area around the Tasermiut Fjord near Nanortalik in South Greenland. Characteristic of the area are the high vertical rocks which rise as high as 2,000 metres along the 75 km long fjord. The Ketil rock with its 1,400 metre vertical granite wall is world-famous amongst climbers and every year attracts climbers from all over the world.

In July a walking map of the area around Nuuk was also published. The front of the map shows a town plan whilst the other side covers the area around Nuuk out to Qoorgut in the east and Præste Fjord in the south.

Concorde lands in Greenland

On 5 June a Concorde aircraft carrying approx. 90 tourists from Britain landed in Greenland for the first time. This is the second year that Flights of Fantasy has been sending tourists to Greenland by Concorde, but the first time that visitors have flown directly to Greenland, landing at Kangerlussuaq Airport. Flights of Fantasy has entered into agreements with Greenland Incoming for more trips in 1997 and 1998.

Greenland invests in the Vestnorden Travel Mart

Over 30 people from approx. 20 different businesses and organisations related to the Greenlandic tourist sector will this year participate in the Vestnorden Travel Mart (VNTM) in Iceland at the beginning of September. This year Greenland Tourism has arranged two post-fair trips to East Greenland and South Greenland respectively immediately after the VNTM.

A revised version of Greenland Tourism's "Agent's Manual" will be ready in time for the VNTM. A new feature this year is a schematic overview of the experiences on offer in the different areas of Greenland.

Tourists from the Far East and South America

In 1997 Profil Travel will be organising a couple of foreign-language trips targeted towards tourists from Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore and from South America. Jahn Schapiro, director of Profil Travel, sends tourists to most countries in the world every year and consequently has co-operated for many years with partners in these regions. According to Schapiro, a large number of well-off Asians and South Americans are interested in the North Atlantic countries and Schapiro's partners in co-operation are prepared to produce material in the languages in question and sell trips to Greenland in 1997.

Greenlandic-English phrase book

The first Greenlandic-English phrase book has just been published. The 32-page phrase book should help dog-sledge drivers, sheep farmers, etc. to communicate with their foreign guests.

Foreign correspondents in Nuuk

Greenland's Home Rule government had 15 foreign correspondents from Copenhagen to visit in Nuuk from 10 to 14 August. In addition to being informed by politicians and business people about Greenland's economy, trade and industry, fisheries, health, environment, etc., the journalists heard from Kim Folmann Jørgensen, director of Greenland Tourism, about the development of tourism in Greenland.

New Narsaq brochure

A new glossy brochure about Narsaq has hit the streets. The brochure is available in Danish and English and provides insight into the Narsaq region with information on mountain hiking, ice, geology and sights of cultural-historical interest.


Did you know ....


- that Thule Air Base is being opened up to civil aviation following many years of pressure on the American government

- that the 3rd of July was the 275th anniversary of Hans Egede's arrival in Greenland

- that 1,700 schoolchildren, mainly Danish, have been to school camp in Kangerlussuaq

- that this year's kayak championships were held in Maniitsoq from 21 to 28 July. Courses in sealskin-working and in making kayak clothing were held in parallel with the championships

- that 12,000 Greenlandic sledge dogs are vaccinated against rabies and distemper every year

- that the 1996 Nuuk Marathon was held on 27 July with runners from both Greenland and abroad

- that 3,052 amateur hunters this year sought permission to hunt reindeer on the west coast. 653 were allocated a reindeer


Editors:
Søren Thalund (editor responsible)
Mette Vestergård

Product development, advice, documentation:
Greenland Tourism a/s
P.O. Box 1552
Hans Egedesvej 29
DK-3900 Nuuk
Tel.: +299 22 888
Fax: +299 22 877

E-mail: greenland.tourism@greennet.gl
Internet: http://www.greenland-guide.dk/gt/

Marketing, information, distribution:
Greenland Tourism a/s
P.O. Box 1139
Pilestræde 52
DK-1010 Copenhagen K
Tel.: +45 33 13 69 75
Fax: +45 33 93 38 83

E-mail: greenfo@inet.uni-c.dk
Internet: http://www.greenland-guide.dk/gt/


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